By Kathleen Cahill Banaszak
www.kathybanaszak.blogspot.com
E-mail: kathybanaszak@wi.rr.com
The Rock Star of presidential politics came to town today.
Democratic presidential front-runner Senator Barack Obama turned up the heat on a frigid February afternoon in Wisconsin as he fired up the capacity crowd at the Waukesha Expo Center.
Following yet another sweep in Tuesday’s “Potomac Primaries”, Obama also made stops in Madison, Janesville and Racine on his two-day tour of the Badger State in anticipation of Wisconsin’s open primary on February 19.
The crowd was, by and large, the party faithful. Some might say the “faithful few” since Waukesha County is clearly regarded as the most conservative part of Wisconsin, garnering huge majorities for President George W. Bush in both 2000 and 2004. Governor Jim Doyle and Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson were both here today and both clearly on board with Obama.
Obama acknowledged his new front-runner status without mentioning any names (that would be Hillary, of course) drawing huge applause, “John McCain is taking swipes at me. It’s clear he knows who his opponent is going to be.”
Obama hit on all his campaign themes in the stump speech, including a good thirty minutes of solid Q&A from the audience. He fielded questions along the spectrum: a Cancer survivor (affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans); a high school student (the genocide in Darfur); a frustrated retiree (Social Security); and would-be minority homeowner (the sub prime mortgage lending crisis).
There were some specifics of note on the healthcare front. A President Obama would provide two options for healthcare coverage: 1) “the same healthcare plan that I have as a United States Senator” (the government plan); or 2) keep your current private insurance with eligibility for government subsidy.
Under Obama, both the cost of the government healthcare plan, as well as subsidies to private insurance plans would be on a “sliding scale” as a percentage of annual household income. Obama was clear there would be no exclusions for any pre-existing conditions on his government healthcare plan, nor on any private plan that would receive government subsidies.
Obama attempted to make a clear distinction between his own position and Senator Hillary Clinton on the issue of healthcare, international trade and ethics (especially ethics). According to Obama, Clinton is for one universal healthcare package while Obama's plan gives people a choice, while still making it affordable at all income levels.
On international trade, Obama wants NAFTA repealed while he describes Senator Clinton as its biggest cheerleader, (though he inferred a Clinton flip-flop of sorts along the way).
Obama stoked the crowd when he emphasized the need to change how Washington does business. He targeted the FDA, the conglomerate of big oil, big banking, the drug companies, insurance companies and their lobbyists, along with a host of political action committees.
Obama sees all of the above as players in what he describes as a perennial “government within the government” that maintains the “real” power regardless of which party is officially at the helm. (The “Matrix” comes to mind. Will that be a red pill or blue pill Neo?)
He also included as part of the larger problem, his own legislative cohorts on both sides of the aisle (including Hillary) who are recipients of huge amounts of PAC money and who are inferred as being in bed with the lobbyists. Again, Obama made it clear that those who are beholden will never be able to deliver on the promise of “real change”.
Obama also cited Clinton’s failed attempt at healthcare reform back in ’93 attributing it as a failure to be transparent, “working in secret, behind closed doors.” (He did give her credit for trying though, thank you very much.)
Obama pledged openness, transparency and widespread ethics reform in an Obama administration, noting that his own campaign had not taken a dime from any PAC’s or lobbyists to date, thereby holding himself out as the only candidate in the field who can bring about “real change”.
Obama clearly has little use for those who would nullify his efforts to inspire Americans to a bigger and different vision of America. He wears his “Hope-Mongerer” label as a badge of honor. To those who suggest that the Senator from Illinois is little more than pretty rhetoric, he answers with the charge of “cynic” noting that cynicism is “not a good sort of wisdom.”
Obama’s “No-PAC-Money” pledge also underscored the bona fide grass-roots strength of his well-organized (and soaring) campaign. Recruiting volunteers from the crowd for a successful GOTV effort for next week’s election was also part of today’s agenda.
Obama hit the ball out of the park when he noted that George W. Bush would not be on the ballot come November. He reminded the crowd, however, that both the Bush tax cuts and the War in Iraq would be key in terms of how Americans cast their vote for their next president.
The senator from Illinois was very careful to honor the military and public service of his Republican counterpart, Senator John McCain, describing him as a true American hero.
Obama was also intentional about honoring the troops that have served and are still serving, “They have done everything they’ve been asked to do”. He vowed that his administration would make concrete changes in terms of how returning veterans and their families get what they need when they need it and “without begging”.
On the national security front, the senator from Illinois decried the “fear-mongering” of the Bush administration (and those on the campaign trail who continue to support the administration’s position). He pledged to use the power of American diplomacy vowing that he “will talk to those who like us and those who don’t”. He also made it clear that if an enemy strikes America, a President Obama would not hesitate to strike back.
Obama harkened back to the ringing rhetoric of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” Stressing the need to negotiate with your enemies from a position of strength, Obama cited his belief that only in knowing your enemy can you effectively deal with that enemy, much less ever hope to defeat them.
In the end, Obama left this crowd just he’s left every other crowd in recent weeks: “Fired up and ready to go!”
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